Straussman tapped film veep at QDE

Romi Straussman has been named motion picture division VP of QDE, the newly formed multimedia venture started by Quincy Jones and David Salzman.

Straussman’s hiring marks the first high-level appointment for QDE since the company’s partnership deal with Time Warner Inc. was announced last month.

In her new post, Straussman, who was most recently a senior VP at Scott Rudin’s Paramount-based company, will report to co-CEOs Jones and Salzman.

Although not available for comment, Jones said in a statement, “Romi fits in perfectly with our position as a ‘guerrilla’ production company backed by the battalion-strength of our co-venture partner at Time Warner Entertainment.”

Among her duties at QDE, Straussman will supervise development and production of the company’s hopper of more than 14 projects, which includes the romantic comedy “Out of the House,” written by Susan Holli Shaffer; “Don Quixote,” which will be co-produced by Steven Haft; and “The Pulse,” based on the work of top comic book artist/writer Todd McFarlane.

Other QDE films Straussman will supervise are two projects based on characters from Mad magazine –“Alfred E. Neuman,” to be co-produced with Haft, and “Spy vs. Spy,” a co-production with Steve Tisch. There is also the remake of “A Star Is Born,” a co-production with Silver Pictures, and “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” a co-production with Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Prods.